The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's basketball team eventually figured out a way to beat Austin Peay's pressure.
As a result, they figured out a way to beat the Governors.
In a game they probably didn't deserve to win, the Mocs overcame 20-point deficits in both the second and third quarters to claim a 63-62 win on Anna Walker's last-second layup as the buzzer sounded.
The Mocs (2-3) had 11-0 runs in both the second and fourth quarters, the second of which allowed them to take a 61-60 lead on a Dena Jarrells layup with less than a minute to play. UTC shot 52% from the field in the second half, which allowed them to apply full-court pressure on Austin Peay, taking the Governors out of their offense.
The Mocs cleaned up some first-half turnover issues and as a result were able to get a number of easy layups at the basket - none bigger than the 6-foot freshman Walker's final basket, assisted by Jarrells.
The pair finished with 13 points each, with Jarrells adding five assists. Eboni Williams led the team with 14 points and had seven rebounds and three assists, while Bria Dial added 10. Abbey Cornelius chipped in seven rebounds. Williams scored all but two of her points in the first half, basically keeping the Mocs in the game despite the turnover issues.
The Mocs host Eastern Kentucky Friday at 4 at McKenzie Arena.
Moc star
So many places to go here, but it was Jarrells' ability to get to the basket that created so many opportunities in the second half for UTC. She played all 20 minutes of the second half, and was a big reason the Mocs more than cut their turnovers in half in the final part of the game.
Key stat
The Mocs shot 69% from inside 3-point range in the second half, as they were able to constantly attack the basket for easy shots. After a first half in which they turned the ball over 16 times, the Mocs had seven miscues in the final 20 minutes.
Turning point
Austin Peay shot 24% in the fourth quarter and went 6:22 without scoring a point, allowing UTC to go on an 11-0 run - its second such stretch of the game - and give itself a chance to win in the end.
Quotable
"Maybe I'm not giving my kids enough credit. Maybe we need to start pressing earlier." - UTC head coach Katie Burrows after the Mocs forced 25 Austin Peay turnovers, with 20 coming in the final three quarters
Final thought
It's a win, so it's something to celebrate. But the Mocs have been prone to having a bad quarter and not being able to fight out of it - see Alabama-Birmingham, see Troy - and that's still something that has to be rectified. UTC's defense gave the team a chance, and offensively different players made plays down the stretch - Jarrells' basket, Dial with a big 3, the Jarrells-Walker combination - but it's sure that Burrows will still harp on things that have to be cleaned up going forward.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.